A culinary journey in Bali!

Balinese cuisine is a flavorful and aromatic culinary experience not to be missed during your trip to Bali. Balinese cuisine is a blend of various influences, including Indonesian, Chinese and Indian cuisine. The dishes are characterized by the use of fresh herbs and spices, such as coriander, ginger, turmeric and lemongrass, which create an explosion of flavors and aromas.

As in Vietnam, rice and rice noodles form the basis of Balinese cuisine. Despite seeming boring, all that variety makes it absolutely no punishment to eat so much rice and rice noodles. Below are my favorite dishes from Indonesian/Balinese cuisine, including some restaurant tips!

Nasi Goreng & Mie Goreng

Rather a typical Indonesian dish, but if you are in Bali it is absolutely a must try both a plate of nasi and mie goreng. Fried rice or noodles with vegetables, egg and often pork (due to Hinduism you will find virtually no beef anywhere in Bali) or shrimp. A classic Indonesian dish you can find almost anywhere in Bali.

As a vegetable lover, I find it no punishment to eat an extra serving of vegetables for the daily dose of vitamins, so I often ordered a plate of Cap Cay (grilled vegetables) with it.

Tip: Warung Tanah Barak (Nusa Penida)

Bonus: Family dinner during a unique Homestay!

One of my highlights during my trip through Indonesia was a 2-day Homestay with a local family in Gadungan, Bali. Both culturally and culinarily. The host has been a chef in a hotel for many years and teaches college cooking classes one day a week. Together with his wife, they make the most delicious dishes of Balinese cuisine, such as Mie Goreng, Gado Gado, Yellow Curry and sweet breakfast pancakes with a nice cup of Balinese coffee.

You'll even learn how to eat the rice by hand like many locals!

Homestay in Bali: a truly authentic experience!

Nasi Campur

A traditional Indonesian dish that literally means "mixed rice." It consists of a bowl of steamed white rice with various side dishes and toppings, which often vary by region. In Bali, however, Nasi Campur has a special place in culinary culture and is often referred to as "Nasi Campur Bali."

A plate of Nasi Campur consists of a bowl of warm white rice with various side dishes and toppings, which usually include fried chicken, pork or beef, satay, vegetables, egg, sambal, and fried tempeh or tofu. Exactly what I love: a little bit of everything, so you have different flavors in a dish. Often different kinds of sambal and spices are also used to add extra flavor to the dish.

Tip: Ubud Shanti Warung (between the rice fields)

I wasn't the only one who thought the plate of food looked good!

Sambal

Sambal is an essential part of Balinese cuisine and is served with almost every meal. It gives dishes such as Nasi Campur, for example, a spicy kick and a deeper flavor dimension.

Types of Sambal
There are several types of sambal served in Bali, including the classic sambal oelek, which is often used as a dip for things like satay, and sambal matah, a raw sambal made from chopped chilies, onion and lime that is often served with fish dishes.

Another common sambal in Bali is sambal bajak, a cooked sambal made from fried spices such as trassi (fermented shrimp paste), coriander and cumin, along with chili peppers and other ingredients. Sambal bajak is often served with rice dishes and vegetables.

Just be careful with the amount of Sambal, from experience I have learned that Balinese like spicy food. I find it a waste if I lose the taste of the food due to too much sambal, and besides, I also don't like that extreme burning feeling when you have eaten too spicy.

Nasi Babi Guling

A pork dish made from a whole roasted pig stuffed with spices. The meat is traditionally roasted slowly over charcoal until it has a crispy exterior and is juicy and tender inside. After roasting, the pork is cut into thin slices and served with a number of side dishes, such as fried rice, vegetables and hot chili sauce.

I personally found the pork skin tasted a bit strange, but found the rest of the dish very flavorful.

Tip: Eat among the locals on your way back to your accommodation in Sidemen at Warung Nasi Babi Guling (Soly).

Opor Ayam – Balinese Chicken Curry

Opor Ayam is an Indonesian dish that consists of stewed chicken in a creamy coconut milk sauce. The dish is originally from Java, but there is also a variant served in Bali known as Opor Ayam Bali.

The Balinese version of Opor Ayam is usually a bit spicier than the Javanese version and is prepared with local herbs and spices, such as laos, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. In addition to chicken, vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and green beans are often added to the stew to give the dish more texture and flavor.

Tip: Warung Ning (Ubud)

Bubur Injin

For the sweet tooth, there is the Bubur Injin, a Balinese black rice pudding, a dessert made from black rice, coconut milk and palm sugar.

Nasi Rendang

My personal favorite: nasi rendang! A slow-cooked meat dish in a rich, spicy sauce of spices and coconut milk. Available at a padang warung, where from outside in the display case you see countless aluminum trays with curries, vegetables and meat/fish dishes. It doesn't always look inviting, by the way, but I haven't gone out disappointed once.

Very easy to order and served with a portion of rice in no time. Also very popular among locals to score a quick meal or to pick it up and eat it at home.

Kopi Bali – Balinese coffee

I had to get used to the fact that Balinese coffee is served unfiltered. Stirring it once is allowed, but after that don't do it again to avoid having the coffee powder between your teeth.

Balinese coffee, also known as Kopi Bali, is produced by local coffee farmers who use the traditional way of growing and processing coffee. The coffee beans are hand-picked, sorted and dried in the sun before being roasted on an open fire. This process creates the coffee's unique flavor and aroma.

Tip: Try this, as well as some other types of coffee while visiting coffee/tea plantation in Ubud.

I could not have wished for a better breakfast with Kopi Bali during my last days in Bali in authentic Sidemen!

Sate

The classic sate variety from Indonesian cuisine is a peanut sauce with grilled pieces of chicken on a stick; served with a portion of white rice or loose as a street food snack. A Balinese variant is the sate liwet, a sate made from ground fish, chicken or pork mixed with spices, lemongrass and coconut.

Tip: ‘D Padi Restaurant (among the rice fields in Sidemen)

Dragon fruit

Indonesia is also known for its exotic and delicious fruits. One of the most famous is the Dragon fruit. The fruit is bright pink outside with green scales and white or pink inside with black seeds. It has a mildly sweet taste and is often eaten alone or in fruit salads. Personally my favorite fruit and I already miss it because we don't have it here in the Netherlands.

Especially at the more modern breakfast bars you will surely find a Dragon fruit smoothie, absolutely recommended for breakfast!

Markets & Warungs

To further explore the local cuisine, you can visit local markets and food stalls, where you can taste and experience different dishes and delicacies. For me, it is without a doubt the most enjoyable way, as you can quickly taste several dishes at the local markets.

If you really want to enjoy Balinese cuisine, you can also participate in cooking classes offered at different locations in Bali. Take some cooking knowledge home with you right away, so you can start cooking Balinese / Indonesian at home as well.